Measurement design for next radio (nr) and long term evolution (lte)

ABSTRACT

An invention to perform a method of cell measurement in a wireless network, wherein the wireless network comprises a plurality of frequency layers, the invention configured to: determine a Measurement Gap Length, MGL, for each one of the plurality of frequency layers operational in the wireless network; determine a gap bitmap to indicate a measurement gap availability in a time sequence for each one of the plurality of frequency layers of the wireless network; and transmit gap assistance information for each one of the plurality of frequency layers of the wireless network to a User Equipment, wherein the gap assistance information comprises at least the determined Measurement Gap Length and the determined gap bitmap.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/505,526, filed May 12, 2017, entitled “MEASUREMENTDESIGN FOR NEXT RADIO (NR) AND LONG TERM EVOLUTION (LTE),” the entiredisclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

Various embodiments generally may relate to the field of wirelesscommunications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

FIG. 1 shows an example structure of a Synchronization Signal (SS) blockin accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 2 shows an example Synchronization Signal burst set(s) inaccordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 3 shows an example of the Measurement Gap in New Radio (NR) inaccordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 4 shows an example of three Synchronization Signal blocks in onesubframe in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 5 shows an example of two Synchronization Signal blocks in onesubframe in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 6 shows an example for gap configuration among different frequencylayers in New Radio (NR) networks in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 7 shows an example for gap configuration among different frequencylayers in both New Radio (NR) and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) networks inaccordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 8 shows an architecture of a system of a wireless network inaccordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 9 shows example components of a device in accordance with someembodiments;

FIG. 10 shows example interfaces of baseband circuitry in accordancewith some embodiments;

FIG. 11 shows a block diagram illustrating components in accordance withsome embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings.The same reference numbers may be used in different drawings to identifythe same or similar elements. In the following description, for purposesof explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth suchas particular structures, architectures, interfaces, techniques, etc. inorder to provide a thorough understanding of the various aspects ofvarious embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled inthe art having the benefit of the present disclosure that the variousaspects of the various embodiments may be practiced in other examplesthat depart from these specific details. In certain instances,descriptions of well-known devices, circuits, and methods are omitted soas not to obscure the description of the various embodiments withunnecessary detail. For the purposes of the present document, the phrase“A or B” means (A), (B), or (A and B).

In a NR (Next Radio, otherwise known as New Radio) system, a new SS(Synchronization Signal) is introduced and the Synchronization Signal isdesigned to be used as cell identification, measurement and so on. TheNew Radio Synchronization Signal is designed as below.

A set of configuration values for synchronization signal (SS) burst setperiodicity applicable for User Equipments in RRC_CONNECTED and IDLEmode that are operating in standalone New Radio cells, and for UserEquipments that are operating in non-standalone New Radio cells areprovided. The Synchronization Signal burst set periodicity is thefrequency at which the same Synchronization Signal block is repeated.The set of configuration values for Synchronization Signal burst setperiodicity may be specified as {5, 10, 20, 40, 80, and 160} ms. Themaximum number (L) of Synchronization Signal blocks used may varyaccording to frequency. For example, there may be three groups: (1) foruse with the frequency range up to 3 GHz: L=[1, 2, 4]; (2) for use withthe frequency range from 3 GHz to 6 GHz: L=[4, 8]; (3) for use with thefrequency range from 6 GHz to 52.6 GHz: L=[64].

An example Synchronization Signal block 100 is shown in FIG. 1, where aSynchronization Signal block includes one symbol (i.e. OFDM symbol) ofthe PSS (Primary Synchronization Signal) 110, one symbol of the SSS(Secondary Synchronization Signal) 120, and two symbols (or in someconfigurations more than two) of the PBCH (Physical Broadcast Channel)130.

FIG. 2 shows an example Synchronization Signal burst set(s) inaccordance with some embodiments. The network can configure a bitmap toindicate which Synchronization Signal blocks are punctured (i.e.disabled) as the blank parts in the example of FIG. 2. For example, ifthe maximum Synchronization Signal block number is L=4 andSynchronization Signal burst set period is 5 ms and the respectivebitmap indicates that no Synchronization Signal block is disabled, thenthere are 4 continuous Synchronization Signal blocks in this 5 ms.However, the symbols (i.e. Physical resources) for the PDCCH (physicaldedicated control channel) may not be used by the SynchronizationSignal.

Since the Synchronization Signal may have different periodicity ondifferent frequency layers or for different cells, an identical gappattern may not be feasible for measurement, which is quite differentfrom legacy LTE (i.e. in legacy LTE the Primary SynchronizationSignal/Secondary Synchronization Signal periodicity is fixed as 5 ms andtherefore a 6 ms gap can apply for all cells on all frequency layers tocover at least one Primary Synchronization Signal/SecondarySynchronization Signal copy). The new measurement mechanism presentedherein is needed to be compatible for both LTE and New Radio referencesignals and cost the smallest interruption to the normal traffics.

In order to find out a compatible approach to conduct the measurementfor both LTE and New Radio, multiple frequency layers and multipleSynchronization Signal block configurations shall be considered inparallel.

In Example 1 the Measurement Gap Length (MGL) in New Radio may be 6 ms.

In Example 2 the Measurement Gap Length in New Radio may be 6 ms forfrequency range below 6 GHz, and, the Measurement Gap Length in NewRadio may be X ms for frequency range above 6 GHz. For example X may beequal or greater than 6 ms. In such an example, if the Sub-carrierSpacing is YkHz, and two Synchronization Signal blocks are contained inone subframe, then X may be greater than (L/2)*(15/Y)ms for a frequencyrange above 6 GHz; e.g X=9 ms. In such an example, if the Sub-carrierSpacing is YkHz, and three Synchronization Signal blocks are containedin one subframe, then X may be greater than ceiling(L/3)*(15/Y)ms for afrequency range above 6 GHz; e.g. X=6 ms. (Where the function ceiling(k)is the least integer greater than or equal to k).

Example 3 may include a bitmap for gap pattern use, and may be used toindicate the gap availability in time sequence on a frequency layer. Thebitmap is used to indicate which gap occasion is available or disabled(i.e. punctured/muted), e.g. “1” means gap occasion is available formeasurement and “0” means that the gap occasion is disabled. For eachfrequency layer measurement, the network may signal assistanceinformation to User Equipment, which may include but is not limited to:Gap periodicity (e.g. 40 ms or 80 ms); Gap offset, to indicate theposition of gap duration (i.e. length) within the Gap periodicity;Measurement Gap Length; and Gap bitmap. The bitmap design may guaranteethat the Measurement Gap Length in each 40 ms will not exceed 6 ms or 7ms.

The gap resource for LTE measurement may be prioritized over New Radiomeasurement. For example, if the LTE measurement gap collides with theNew Radio measurement gap in the time domain, then the LTE measurementmay be performed first in the gap. Or, the gap resource for New Radiomay be prioritized over LTE measurement. For example, if the LTEmeasurement gap collides with the New Radio measurement gap in the timedomain, then the New Radio measurement may be performed first in thegap.

Example 4 may include the Measurement Gap Repetition Period (MGRP) orinterval between every two gaps, which may be equal or greater than 40ms even though the Synchronization Signal burst set periodicity may besmaller than 40 ms.

Embodiment 1: the measurement gap length (MGL) in New Radio may be 6 ms.

FIG. 3 shows an example 6 ms measurement gap 310 for New Radiomeasurement, containing the Synchronization Signal block 100. In thisexample, the User Equipment will use a 6 ms gap for inter-frequency orintra-frequency measurement, and this gap may contain theSynchronization Signal blocks of New Radio for synchronization ormeasurement.

Embodiment 2: The Measurement Gap Length in New Radio may be 6 ms forfrequency range below 6 GHz, and, the Measurement Gap Length in NewRadio may be X ms for frequency range above 6 GHz. For example, X may beequal or greater than 6 ms. In such an example, if the Sub-carrierSpacing is YkHz, and two Synchronization Signal blocks are contained inone subframe, then X may be greater than (L/2)*(15/Y)ms for a frequencyrange above 6 GHz; e.g X=9 ms. In such an example, if the Sub-carrierSpacing is YkHz, and three Synchronization Signal blocks are containedin one subframe, then X may be greater than ceiling(L/3)*(15/Y)ms for afrequency range above 6 GHz; e.g. X=6 ms. (Where the functionceiling(k)=is the least integer greater than or equal to k).

This calculation of Measurement Gap Length, X (ms), can be seen in amore generic form by the relationship:

X≥ceiling(L/n)*(15/Y)

where L is the maximum amount of Synchronization Signal blocks perSynchronization Signal burst set, n is the amount of SynchronizationSignal blocks in one subframe, and Y (kHz) is the Sub-carrier Spacing.

For example, the maximum amount of Synchronization Signal blocks above 6GHz might be 64 per Synchronization Signal burst set, the numerologyused for Synchronization Signal above 6 GHz might be Sub-carrier Spacing(SCS): YkHz (e.g. 60 kHz, 120 kHz or others), and the amount ofSynchronization Signal blocks in one subframe is n (e.g. n=3 in FIG. 4,or 2 in FIG. 5, or others).

For the example shown in FIG. 4, if three Synchronization Signal (SS)blocks 100 can be contained in one subframe, then 22 subframes areneeded to contain 64 Synchronization Signal blocks above 6 GHz, and thelength of 22 subframes is 22*15 (kHz)/Y(kHz); so if the Sub-carrierSpacing, Y=60 kHz, the length of 22 subframes is 5.5 ms. The MeasurementGap Length may be greater than or equal to 5.5 ms, and for example a 6ms or 7 ms Measurement Gap Length may also be feasible for this case.

For the example shown in FIG. 5, if two Synchronization Signal blockscan be contained in one subframe, then 32 subframes are needed tocontain 64 Synchronization Signal blocks above 6 GHz, and the length of32 subframes is 32*15 (kHz)/Y(kHz); so if the Sub-carrier Spacing Y=60kHz, the length of 32 subframes is 8 ms. The Measurement Gap Length maybe greater than or equal to 8 ms, and for example the 9 ms MeasurementGap Length may also be feasible for this case.

In a further example, if four Synchronization Signal blocks can becontained in one subframe, then 16 subframes are needed to contain 64Synchronization blocks above 6 GHz, and the length of 16 subframes is16*15 (kHz)/Y(kHz); so if the Sub-carrier Spacing Y=60 kHz, the lengthof 16 subframes is 4 ms. The Measurement Gap Length may be greater thanor equal to 4 ms, and for example the 4 ms Measurement Gap Length may befeasible in this case.

In a further example, if five Synchronization Signal blocks can becontained in one subframe, then 13 subframes are needed to contain 64Synchronization blocks above 6 GHz, and the length of 13 subframes is13*15 (kHz)/Y(kHz); so if the Sub-carrier Spacing Y=60 kHz, the lengthof 16 subframes is 3.25 ms. The Measurement Gap Length may be greaterthan or equal to 3.25 ms, and for example the 3.5 ms Measurement GapLength may also be feasible in this case.

In a further example, if six Synchronization Signal blocks can becontained in one subframe, then 11 subframes are needed to contain 64Synchronization blocks above 6 GHz, and the length of 11 subframes is11*15 (kHz)/Y(kHz); so if the Sub-carrier Spacing Y=60 kHz, the lengthof 11 subframes is 2.75 ms. The Measurement Gap Length may be greaterthan or equal to 2.75 ms, and for example the 3 ms Measurement GapLength may also be feasible in this case.

In a further example, if eleven Synchronization Signal blocks can becontained in one subframe, then 6 subframes are needed to contain 64Synchronization blocks above 6 GHz, and the length of 6 subframes is6*15 (kHz)/Y(kHz); so if the Sub-carrier Spacing Y=60 kHz, the length of6 subframes is 1.5 ms. The Measurement Gap Length may be greater than orequal to 1.5 ms, and for example the 1.5 ms Measurement Gap Length maybe feasible in this case.

The foregoing examples illustrate calculation of Measurement Gap Lengthfor situations where the Sub-carrier Spacing Y=60 kHz. The skilledperson will understand that the same principles described herein areequally applicable to situations where the Sub-carrier Spacing is Y=15kHz, Y=30 kHz, Y=120 kHz, Y=240 kHz, or any other appropriateSub-carrier Spacing.

Embodiment 3: The bitmap for gap pattern may be used to indicate the gapavailability in time sequence on a frequency layer. The bitmap is usedto indicate which gap occasion is available or disabled, e.g. “1” meansgap occasion is available and “0” means gap occasion is disabled. Foreach frequency layer measurement, the network may signal gap assistanceinformation to User Equipment, which may include but is not limited to:Gap periodicity (e.g. 40 ms or 80 ms); Gap offset: to indicate theposition of gap duration within the Gap periodicity; Measurement GapLength; Gap bitmap. The bitmap design may guarantee that the MeasurementGap Length in each 40 ms will not exceed 6 ms or 7 ms. For example, inthe example displayed in FIG. 6, the bitmap for the measurement gapapplied on frequency layer F1 is 1100. The bitmap for the measurementgap applied on frequency layer F2 is 0011. Therefore, over the timeperiod displayed in FIG. 6, the gap applied on this UE will not exceed 6ms or 7 ms. However, if the measurement gap pattern on frequency layerF1 is 1100 and the bitmap for the measurement gap pattern on frequencylayer F2 is instead 1011, then over the time period displayed in FIG. 6the applied gap will exceed 6 ms or 7 ms per 40 ms in statistic, becausethe first gap will be enabled on both frequency layers F1 and F2.

The gap resource for LTE measurement may be prioritized over New Radiomeasurement. For example, if the LTE measurement gap collides with theNew Radio measurement gap in the time domain, then the LTE measurementmay be performed first in the gap. Or, the gap resource for New Radiomay be prioritized over LTE measurement. For example, if the LTEmeasurement gap collides with the New Radio measurement gap in the timedomain, then the New Radio measurement may be performed first in thegap.

The example in FIG. 6 shows the use of two frequency layers (F1 and F2)for New Radio measurements (i.e. no legacy LTE frequency layers are inuse). In this example the F1 gap assistance information is:

Gap periodicity: 40 ms (i.e. the time interval between the start of twopossible gaps, also referred to as the frequency of the gaps).

Gap offset: Oms (i.e. the start position of a gap in the gapperiodicity).

Measurement Gap Length: 6 ms (i.e. gap duration length).

Gap bitmap: 1100 (i.e. the first and second gap occasions are availablefor User Equipment to perform measurement on F1, but the third andfourth gap occasions are disabled. Therefore, User Equipment cannotperform measurement on F1 in the third and fourth gap occasion for F1).

And, in this example, the F2 gap assistance information is:

Gap periodicity: 40 ms (i.e. the time interval between the start of twopossible gaps).

Gap offset: 5 ms (i.e. the start position of a gap in the gapperiodicity).

Measurement Gap Length: 6 ms (i.e. gap duration length).

Gap bitmap: 0011 (i.e. the third and fourth gap occasions are availablefor User Equipment to perform measurement on F2, but the first andsecond gap occasions are disabled. Therefore, User Equipment cannotperform measurement on F2 in the first and second gap occasions for F2).

So, from a User Equipment perspective, the interval between every twogaps may not be identical. But this per-User Equipment gap can be usedfor LTE network measurement, since the Primary SynchronizationSignal/Secondary Synchronization Signal in LTE is always available inevery 5 ms.

If there is an LTE-specific F3 used on top of the example in FIG. 6,then the LTE gap periodicity is 40 ms, and gap offset is 5 ms andMeasurement Gap Length is 6 ms. That means the gap pattern for LTE cellson F3 is same as New Radio cells on F2, then there may be twoimplementations for User Equipment: In one implementation, UserEquipment may prioritize LTE measurement over New Radio measurement,then the third and fourth gaps for F2 may be muted as well; In analternative implementation, User Equipment may prioritize New Radiomeasurement over LTE measurement, then the third and fourth gaps for F2can be used for F2 New Radio cells measurement.

The example in FIG. 7 shows the use of three frequency layers (F1, F2and F3): two for New Radio measurements (F1, F2) and one LTEmeasurements (F3). New Radio cells are on frequency layers F1 and F2,and LTE cells are on frequency layer F3. In this example, the F1 gapassistance information is:

Gap periodicity: 40 ms (i.e. the time interval between the start of twopossible gaps).

Gap offset: 0 ms (i.e. the start position of a gap in the gapperiodicity).

Measurement Gap Length: 6 ms (i.e. gap duration length).

Gap bitmap: 1000 (i.e. only the first gap occasion is available for UserEquipment to perform measurement on F1, but the other three gapoccasions on F1 are disabled. Therefore, User Equipment cannot performmeasurement on F1 in the second, third and fourth gap occasions for F1).

And, in this example, the F2 gap assistance information is:

Gap periodicity: 40 ms (i.e. the time interval between the start of twopossible gaps).

Gap offset: 5 ms (i.e. the start position of a gap in gap periodicity).

Measurement Gap Length: 6 ms (i.e. gap duration length).

Gap bitmap: 0100 (i.e. only the second gap occasion is available forUser Equipment to perform measurement on F2, but the other gap occasionson F2 are disabled. Therefore, User Equipment cannot perform measurementon F2 in the first, third and fourth gap occasions for F2).

And, in this example, the F3 gap assistance information is:

Gap periodicity: 40 ms (i.e. the time interval between the start of twopossible gaps).

Gap offset: 5 ms (i.e. the start position of a gap in the gapperiodicity).

Measurement Gap Length: 6 ms (i.e. gap duration length).

Gap bitmap: 0011 (i.e. only the third and fourth gap occasions areavailable for User Equipment to perform LTE measurement on F3, but theother gap occasions on F3 are disabled. Therefore, User Equipment cannotperform measurement on F3 in the first and second gap occasions for F3).

So, from a User Equipment perspective, the interval between every twogaps may be not identical. But this per-User Equipment gap can be usedfor LTE network measurement, since the Primary SynchronizationSignal/Secondary Synchronization Signal in LTE is always available inevery 5 ms.

Although the foregoing examples in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 demonstratesituations with two and three frequency layers, it will be apparent topersons skilled in the art that the same principles can be extended to alarger number of frequency layers. Equally, the selection of frequencieswithin given ranges can be varied without fundamentally changing theprinciples described herein. Equally, the length of the bitmap may varyfrom the 4-bit example shown and persons skilled in the art willunderstand that a bitmap of any length is possible without changing theprinciples described herein.

Embodiment 4: The Measurement Gap Repetition Period (MGRP) or intervalbetween every two gaps may be equal or greater than 40 ms even thoughthe Synchronization Signal burst set periodicity may be smaller than 40ms.

The Measurement Gap Repetition Period (also referred to as gapperiodicity) and interval between every two gaps (also referred to asgap interval) may not equal, as shown in the examples in FIG. 6 and FIG.7, but this Measurement Gap Repetition Period and interval may be alwaysequal or greater than 40 ms. Looking at FIG. 6, the Measurement GapRepetition Period is determined by the gap pattern for each individualfrequency layer (i.e. on an individual frequency, e.g. F1, theMeasurement Gap Repetition Period is fixed, e.g. 40 ms). The gapinterval however is the actual time interval between the start of twoapplied gaps from a per-UE view, for example the time line “gap from UE”in FIG. 6, which is not fixed to 40 ms.

In order to make sure the impact to normal data traffic is as low aspossible, the gap occupation time ratio should be aimed to be smallerthan 6/40=15% or 7/40=17.5%. So Measurement Gap Length cannot be morethan 6 ms or 7 ms for below 6 GHz.

FIG. 8 illustrates an architecture of a system 800 of a network inaccordance with some embodiments. The system 800 is shown to include auser equipment (UE) 801 and a UE 802. The UEs 801 and 802 areillustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheld touchscreen mobile computingdevices connectable to one or more cellular networks), but may alsocomprise any mobile or non-mobile computing device, such as PersonalData Assistants (PDAs), pagers, laptop computers, desktop computers,wireless handsets, or any computing device including a wirelesscommunications interface.

In some embodiments, any of the UEs 801 and 802 can comprise an Internetof Things (IoT) UE, which can comprise a network access layer designedfor low-power IoT applications utilizing short-lived UE connections. AnIoT UE can utilize technologies such as machine-to-machine (M2M) ormachine-type communications (MTC) for exchanging data with an MTC serveror device via a public land mobile network (PLMN), Proximity-BasedService (ProSe) or device-to-device (D2D) communication, sensornetworks, or IoT networks. The M2M or MTC exchange of data may be amachine-initiated exchange of data. An IoT network describesinterconnecting IoT UEs, which may include uniquely identifiableembedded computing devices (within the Internet infrastructure), withshort-lived connections. The IoT UEs may execute background applications(e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates, etc.) to facilitate theconnections of the IoT network.

The UEs 801 and 802 may be configured to connect, e.g., communicativelycouple, with a radio access network (RAN) 810—the RAN 810 may be, forexample, an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), orsome other type of RAN. The UEs 801 and 02 utilize connections 803 and804, respectively, each of which comprises a physical communicationsinterface or layer (discussed in further detail below); in this example,the connections 803 and 804 are illustrated as an air interface toenable communicative coupling, and can be consistent with cellularcommunications protocols, such as a Global System for MobileCommunications (GSM) protocol, a code-division multiple access (CDMA)network protocol, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over Cellular(POC) protocol, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)protocol, a 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, a fifth generation(5G) protocol, a New Radio (NR) protocol, and the like.

In this embodiment, the UEs 801 and 802 may further directly exchangecommunication data via a ProSe interface 805. The ProSe interface 805may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink interface comprising oneor more logical channels, including but not limited to a PhysicalSidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink Shared Channel(PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and a PhysicalSidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

The UE 802 is shown to be configured to access an access point (AP) 806via connection 807. The connection 807 can comprise a local wirelessconnection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE 802.11protocol, wherein the AP 806 would comprise a wireless fidelity (WiFi®)router. In this example, the AP 806 is shown to be connected to theInternet without connecting to the core network of the wireless system(described in further detail below).

The RAN 810 can include one or more access nodes that enable theconnections 803 and 804. These access nodes (ANs) can be referred to asbase stations (BSs), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), next GenerationNodeBs (gNB), RAN nodes, and so forth, and can comprise ground stations(e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stations providingcoverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). The RAN 810 mayinclude one or more RAN nodes for providing macrocells, e.g., macro RANnode 811, and one or more RAN nodes for providing femtocells orpicocells (e.g., cells having smaller coverage areas, smaller usercapacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macrocells), e.g., low power(LP) RAN node 812.

Any of the RAN nodes 811 and 812 can terminate the air interfaceprotocol and can be the first point of contact for the UEs 801 and 802.In some embodiments, any of the RAN nodes 811 and 812 can fulfillvarious logical functions for the RAN 810 including, but not limited to,radio network controller (RNC) functions such as radio bearermanagement, uplink and downlink dynamic radio resource management anddata packet scheduling, and mobility management.

In accordance with some embodiments, the UEs 801 and 802 can beconfigured to communicate using Orthogonal Frequency-DivisionMultiplexing (OFDM) communication signals with each other or with any ofthe RAN nodes 811 and 812 over a multicarrier communication channel inaccordance various communication techniques, such as, but not limitedto, an Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access (OFDMA)communication technique (e.g., for downlink communications) or a SingleCarrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) communicationtechnique (e.g., for uplink and ProSe or sidelink communications),although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.The OFDM signals can comprise a plurality of orthogonal subcarriers.

In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid can be used for downlinktransmissions from any of the RAN nodes 811 and 812 to the UEs 801 and802, while uplink transmissions can utilize similar techniques. The gridcan be a time-frequency grid, called a resource grid or time-frequencyresource grid, which is the physical resource in the downlink in eachslot. Such a time-frequency plane representation is a common practicefor OFDM systems, which makes it intuitive for radio resourceallocation. Each column and each row of the resource grid corresponds toone OFDM symbol and one OFDM subcarrier, respectively. The duration ofthe resource grid in the time domain corresponds to one slot in a radioframe. The smallest time-frequency unit in a resource grid is denoted asa resource element. Each resource grid comprises a number of resourceblocks, which describe the mapping of certain physical channels toresource elements. Each resource block comprises a collection ofresource elements; in the frequency domain, this may represent thesmallest quantity of resources that currently can be allocated. Thereare several different physical downlink channels that are conveyed usingsuch resource blocks.

The physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) may carry user data andhigher-layer signaling to the UEs 801 and 802. The physical downlinkcontrol channel (PDCCH) may carry information about the transport formatand resource allocations related to the PDSCH channel, among otherthings. It may also inform the UEs 801 and 802 about the transportformat, resource allocation, and H-ARQ (Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request)information related to the uplink shared channel. Typically, downlinkscheduling (assigning control and shared channel resource blocks to theUE 802 within a cell) may be performed at any of the RAN nodes 811 and812 based on channel quality information fed back from any of the UEs801 and 802. The downlink resource assignment information may be sent onthe PDCCH used for (e.g., assigned to) each of the UEs 801 and 802.

The PDCCH may use control channel elements (CCEs) to convey the controlinformation. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCHcomplex-valued symbols may first be organized into quadruplets, whichmay then be permuted using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching.Each PDCCH may be transmitted using one or more of these CCEs, whereeach CCE may correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elementsknown as resource element groups (REGs). Four Quadrature Phase ShiftKeying (QPSK) symbols may be mapped to each REG. The PDCCH can betransmitted using one or more CCEs, depending on the size of thedownlink control information (DCI) and the channel condition. There canbe four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with differentnumbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation level, L=1, 2, 4, or 8).

Some embodiments may use concepts for resource allocation for controlchannel information that are an extension of the above-describedconcepts. For example, some embodiments may utilize an enhanced physicaldownlink control channel (EPDCCH) that uses PDSCH resources for controlinformation transmission. The EPDCCH may be transmitted using one ormore enhanced the control channel elements (ECCEs). Similar to above,each ECCE may correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elementsknown as an enhanced resource element groups (EREGs). An ECCE may haveother numbers of EREGs in some situations.

The RAN 810 is shown to be communicatively coupled to a core network(CN) 820—via an S1 interface 813. In embodiments, the CN 820 may be anevolved packet core (EPC) network, a NextGen Packet Core (NPC) network,or some other type of CN. In this embodiment the S1 interface 813 issplit into two parts: the S1-U interface 814, which carries traffic databetween the RAN nodes 811 and 812 and the serving gateway (S-GW) 822,and the S1-mobility management entity (MME) interface 815, which is asignaling interface between the RAN nodes 811 and 812 and MMEs 821.

In this embodiment, the CN 820 comprises the MMEs 821, the S-GW 822, thePacket Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) 823, and a home subscriberserver (HSS) 824. The MMEs 821 may be similar in function to the controlplane of legacy Serving General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) SupportNodes (SGSN). The MMEs 821 may manage mobility aspects in access such asgateway selection and tracking area list management. The HSS 824 maycomprise a database for network users, including subscription-relatedinformation to support the network entities' handling of communicationsessions. The CN 820 may comprise one or several HSSs 824, depending onthe number of mobile subscribers, on the capacity of the equipment, onthe organization of the network, etc. For example, the HSS 824 canprovide support for routing/roaming, authentication, authorization,naming/addressing resolution, location dependencies, etc.

The S-GW 822 may terminate the S1 interface 813 towards the RAN 810, androutes data packets between the RAN 810 and the CN 820. In addition, theS-GW 822 may be a local mobility anchor point for inter-RAN nodehandovers and also may provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Otherresponsibilities may include lawful intercept, charging, and some policyenforcement.

The P-GW 823 may terminate an SGi interface toward a PDN. The P-GW 823may route data packets between the EPC network 823 and external networkssuch as a network including the application server 830 (alternativelyreferred to as application function (AF)) via an Internet Protocol (IP)interface 825. Generally, the application server 830 may be an elementoffering applications that use IP bearer resources with the core network(e.g., UMTS Packet Services (PS) domain, LTE PS data services, etc.). Inthis embodiment, the P-GW 823 is shown to be communicatively coupled toan application server 830 via an IP communications interface 825. Theapplication server 830 can also be configured to support one or morecommunication services (e.g., Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP)sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networkingservices, etc.) for the UEs 801 and 802 via the CN 820.

The P-GW 823 may further be a node for policy enforcement and chargingdata collection. Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCRF) 826 isthe policy and charging control element of the CN 820. In a non-roamingscenario, there may be a single PCRF in the Home Public Land MobileNetwork (HPLMN) associated with a UE's Internet Protocol ConnectivityAccess Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roaming scenario with localbreakout of traffic, there may be two PCRFs associated with a UE'sIP-CAN session: a Home PCRF (H-PCRF) within a HPLMN and a Visited PCRF(V-PCRF) within a Visited Public Land Mobile Network (VPLMN). The PCRF826 may be communicatively coupled to the application server 830 via theP-GW 823. The application server 830 may signal the PCRF 826 to indicatea new service flow and select the appropriate Quality of Service (QoS)and charging parameters. The PCRF 826 may provision this rule into aPolicy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF) (not shown) with theappropriate traffic flow template (TFT) and QoS class of identifier(QCI), which commences the QoS and charging as specified by theapplication server 830.

FIG. 9 illustrates example components of a device 900 in accordance withsome embodiments. In some embodiments, the device 900 may includeapplication circuitry 902, baseband circuitry 904, Radio Frequency (RF)circuitry 906, front-end module (FEM) circuitry 908, one or moreantennas 910, and power management circuitry (PMC) 912 coupled togetherat least as shown. The components of the illustrated device 900 may beincluded in a UE or a RAN node. In some embodiments, the device 900 mayinclude less elements (e.g., a RAN node may not utilize applicationcircuitry 902, and instead include a processor/controller to process IPdata received from an EPC). In some embodiments, the device 900 mayinclude additional elements such as, for example, memory/storage,display, camera, sensor, or input/output (I/O) interface. In otherembodiments, the components described below may be included in more thanone device (e.g., said circuitries may be separately included in morethan one device for Cloud-RAN (C-RAN) implementations).

The application circuitry 902 may include one or more applicationprocessors. For example, the application circuitry 902 may includecircuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core ormulti-core processors. The processor(s) may include any combination ofgeneral-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphicsprocessors, application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupledwith or may include memory/storage and may be configured to executeinstructions stored in the memory/storage to enable various applicationsor operating systems to run on the device 900. In some embodiments,processors of application circuitry 902 may process IP data packetsreceived from an EPC.

The baseband circuitry 904 may include circuitry such as, but notlimited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. Thebaseband circuitry 904 may include one or more baseband processors orcontrol logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signalpath of the RF circuitry 906 and to generate baseband signals for atransmit signal path of the RF circuitry 906. Baseband processingcircuitry 904 may interface with the application circuitry 902 forgeneration and processing of the baseband signals and for controllingoperations of the RF circuitry 906. For example, in some embodiments,the baseband circuitry 904 may include a third generation (3G) basebandprocessor 904A, a fourth generation (4G) baseband processor 904B, afifth generation (5G) baseband processor 904C, or other basebandprocessor(s) 904D for other existing generations, generations indevelopment or to be developed in the future (e.g., second generation(2G), sixth generation (6G), etc.). The baseband circuitry 904 (e.g.,one or more of baseband processors XT04A-D) may handle various radiocontrol functions that enable communication with one or more radionetworks via the RF circuitry 906. In other embodiments, some or all ofthe functionality of baseband processors 904A-D may be included inmodules stored in the memory 904G and executed via a Central ProcessingUnit (CPU) 904E. The radio control functions may include, but are notlimited to, signal modulation/demodulation, encoding/decoding, radiofrequency shifting, etc. In some embodiments, modulation/demodulationcircuitry of the baseband circuitry 904 may include Fast-FourierTransform (FFT), precoding, or constellation mapping/demappingfunctionality. In some embodiments, encoding/decoding circuitry of thebaseband circuitry 904 may include convolution, tail-biting convolution,turbo, Viterbi, or Low Density Parity Check (LDPC) encoder/decoderfunctionality. Embodiments of modulation/demodulation andencoder/decoder functionality are not limited to these examples and mayinclude other suitable functionality in other embodiments.

In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 904 may include one or moreaudio digital signal processor(s) (DSP) 904F. The audio DSP(s) 904F maybe include elements for compression/decompression and echo cancellationand may include other suitable processing elements in other embodiments.Components of the baseband circuitry may be suitably combined in asingle chip, a single chipset, or disposed on a same circuit board insome embodiments. In some embodiments, some or all of the constituentcomponents of the baseband circuitry 904 and the application circuitry902 may be implemented together such as, for example, on a system on achip (SOC).

In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 904 may provide forcommunication compatible with one or more radio technologies. Forexample, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 904 may supportcommunication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network(EUTRAN) or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wirelesslocal area network (WLAN), a wireless personal area network (WPAN).Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 904 is configured to supportradio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referredto as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

RF circuitry 906 may enable communication with wireless networks usingmodulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. Invarious embodiments, the RF circuitry 906 may include switches, filters,amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wirelessnetwork. RF circuitry 906 may include a receive signal path which mayinclude circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEMcircuitry 908 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry904. RF circuitry 906 may also include a transmit signal path which mayinclude circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by thebaseband circuitry 904 and provide RF output signals to the FEMcircuitry 908 for transmission.

In some embodiments, the receive signal path of the RF circuitry 906 mayinclude mixer circuitry 906 a, amplifier circuitry 906 b and filtercircuitry 906 c. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of the RFcircuitry 906 may include filter circuitry 906 c and mixer circuitry 906a. RF circuitry 906 may also include synthesizer circuitry 906 d forsynthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 906 a of thereceive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments,the mixer circuitry 906 a of the receive signal path may be configuredto down-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 908 based onthe synthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 906 d. Theamplifier circuitry 906 b may be configured to amplify thedown-converted signals and the filter circuitry 906 c may be a low-passfilter (LPF) or band-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwantedsignals from the down-converted signals to generate output basebandsignals. Output baseband signals may be provided to the basebandcircuitry 904 for further processing. In some embodiments, the outputbaseband signals may be zero-frequency baseband signals, although thisis not a requirement. In some embodiments, mixer circuitry 906 a of thereceive signal path may comprise passive mixers, although the scope ofthe embodiments is not limited in this respect.

In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 906 a of the transmit signalpath may be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on thesynthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 906 d togenerate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 908. The basebandsignals may be provided by the baseband circuitry 904 and may befiltered by filter circuitry 906 c.

In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 906 a of the receive signalpath and the mixer circuitry 906 a of the transmit signal path mayinclude two or more mixers and may be arranged for quadraturedownconversion and upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, themixer circuitry 906 a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry906 a of the transmit signal path may include two or more mixers and maybe arranged for image rejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In someembodiments, the mixer circuitry 906 a of the receive signal path andthe mixer circuitry 906 a may be arranged for direct downconversion anddirect upconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixercircuitry 906 a of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 906 aof the transmit signal path may be configured for super-heterodyneoperation.

In some embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input basebandsignals may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of theembodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternateembodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signalsmay be digital baseband signals. In these alternate embodiments, the RFcircuitry 906 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) anddigital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry904 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RFcircuitry 906.

In some dual-mode embodiments, a separate radio IC circuitry may beprovided for processing signals for each spectrum, although the scope ofthe embodiments is not limited in this respect.

In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 906 d may be afractional-N synthesizer or a fractional N/N+1 synthesizer, although thescope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect as other typesof frequency synthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizercircuitry 906 d may be a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequencymultiplier, or a synthesizer comprising a phase-locked loop with afrequency divider.

The synthesizer circuitry 906 d may be configured to synthesize anoutput frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 906 a of the RFcircuitry 906 based on a frequency input and a divider control input. Insome embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 906 d may be a fractionalN/N+1 synthesizer.

In some embodiments, frequency input may be provided by a voltagecontrolled oscillator (VCO), although that is not a requirement. Dividercontrol input may be provided by either the baseband circuitry 904 orthe applications processor 902 depending on the desired outputfrequency. In some embodiments, a divider control input (e.g., N) may bedetermined from a look-up table based on a channel indicated by theapplications processor 902.

Synthesizer circuitry 906 d of the RF circuitry 906 may include adivider, a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phaseaccumulator. In some embodiments, the divider may be a dual modulusdivider (DMD) and the phase accumulator may be a digital phaseaccumulator (DPA). In some embodiments, the DMD may be configured todivide the input signal by either N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry out)to provide a fractional division ratio. In some example embodiments, theDLL may include a set of cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phasedetector, a charge pump and a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments,the delay elements may be configured to break a VCO period up into Ndequal packets of phase, where Nd is the number of delay elements in thedelay line. In this way, the DLL provides negative feedback to helpensure that the total delay through the delay line is one VCO cycle.

In some embodiments, synthesizer circuitry 906 d may be configured togenerate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in otherembodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrierfrequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrierfrequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and dividercircuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency withmultiple different phases with respect to each other. In someembodiments, the output frequency may be a LO frequency (fLO). In someembodiments, the RF circuitry 906 may include an IQ/polar converter.

FEM circuitry 908 may include a receive signal path which may includecircuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from one or moreantennas 910, amplify the received signals and provide the amplifiedversions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 906 for furtherprocessing. FEM circuitry 908 may also include a transmit signal pathwhich may include circuitry configured to amplify signals fortransmission provided by the RF circuitry 906 for transmission by one ormore of the one or more antennas 910. In various embodiments, theamplification through the transmit or receive signal paths may be donesolely in the RF circuitry 906, solely in the FEM 908, or in both the RFcircuitry 906 and the FEM 908.

In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry 908 may include a TX/RX switch toswitch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEMcircuitry may include a receive signal path and a transmit signal path.The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry may include an LNA toamplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RFsignals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 906). The transmitsignal path of the FEM circuitry 908 may include a power amplifier (PA)to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by RF circuitry 906), andone or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequent transmission(e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 910).

In some embodiments, the PMC 912 may manage power provided to thebaseband circuitry 904. In particular, the PMC 912 may controlpower-source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-to-DCconversion. The PMC 912 may often be included when the device 900 iscapable of being powered by a battery, for example, when the device isincluded in a UE. The PMC 912 may increase the power conversionefficiency while providing desirable implementation size and heatdissipation characteristics.

While FIG. 9 shows the PMC 912 coupled only with the baseband circuitry904. However, in other embodiments, the PMC 912 may be additionally oralternatively coupled with, and perform similar power managementoperations for, other components such as, but not limited to,application circuitry 902, RF circuitry 906, or FEM 908.

In some embodiments, the PMC 912 may control, or otherwise be part of,various power saving mechanisms of the device 900. For example, if thedevice 900 is in an RRC_Connected state, where it is still connected tothe RAN node as it expects to receive traffic shortly, then it may entera state known as Discontinuous Reception Mode (DRX) after a period ofinactivity. During this state, the device 900 may power down for briefintervals of time and thus save power.

If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period of time,then the device 900 may transition off to an RRC_Idle state, where itdisconnects from the network and does not perform operations such aschannel quality feedback, handover, etc. The device 900 goes into a verylow power state and it performs paging where again it periodically wakesup to listen to the network and then powers down again. The device 900may not receive data in this state, in order to receive data, it musttransition back to RRC_Connected state.

An additional power saving mode may allow a device to be unavailable tothe network for periods longer than a paging interval (ranging fromseconds to a few hours). During this time, the device is totallyunreachable to the network and may power down completely. Any data sentduring this time incurs a large delay and it is assumed the delay isacceptable.

Processors of the application circuitry 902 and processors of thebaseband circuitry 904 may be used to execute elements of one or moreinstances of a protocol stack. For example, processors of the basebandcircuitry 904, alone or in combination, may be used execute Layer 3,Layer 2, or Layer 1 functionality, while processors of the applicationcircuitry 904 may utilize data (e.g., packet data) received from theselayers and further execute Layer 4 functionality (e.g., transmissioncommunication protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) layers).As referred to herein, Layer 3 may comprise a radio resource control(RRC) layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein,Layer 2 may comprise a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio linkcontrol (RLC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP)layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein, Layer 1may comprise a physical (PHY) layer of a UE/RAN node, described infurther detail below.

FIG. 10 illustrates example interfaces of baseband circuitry inaccordance with some embodiments. As discussed above, the basebandcircuitry 904 of FIG. 9 may comprise processors 904A-904E and a memory904G utilized by said processors. Each of the processors 904A-904E mayinclude a memory interface, 1004A-1004E, respectively, to send/receivedata to/from the memory 904G.

The baseband circuitry 904 may further include one or more interfaces tocommunicatively couple to other circuitries/devices, such as a memoryinterface 1012 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from memoryexternal to the baseband circuitry 904), an application circuitryinterface 1014 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from theapplication circuitry 902 of FIG. 9), an RF circuitry interface 1016(e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from RF circuitry 906 ofFIG. 9), a wireless hardware connectivity interface 1018 (e.g., aninterface to send/receive data to/from Near Field Communication (NFC)components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi®components, and other communication components), and a power managementinterface 1020 (e.g., an interface to send/receive power or controlsignals to/from the PMC 912).

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating components, according to someexample embodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readableor computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readablestorage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein. Specifically, FIG. 11 shows a diagrammaticrepresentation of hardware resources 1100 including one or moreprocessors (or processor cores) 1110, one or more memory/storage devices1120, and one or more communication resources 1130, each of which may becommunicatively coupled via a bus 1140. For embodiments where nodevirtualization (e.g., NFV) is utilized, a hypervisor 1102 may beexecuted to provide an execution environment for one or more networkslices/sub-slices to utilize the hardware resources 1100

The processors 1110 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reducedinstruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction setcomputing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digitalsignal processor (DSP) such as a baseband processor, an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio-frequency integrated circuit(RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) mayinclude, for example, a processor 1112 and a processor 1114.

The memory/storage devices 1120 may include main memory, disk storage,or any suitable combination thereof. The memory/storage devices 1120 mayinclude, but are not limited to any type of volatile or non-volatilememory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random-accessmemory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM),electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Flashmemory, solid-state storage, etc.

The communication resources 1130 may include interconnection or networkinterface components or other suitable devices to communicate with oneor more peripheral devices 1104 or one or more databases 1106 via anetwork 1108. For example, the communication resources 1130 may includewired communication components (e.g., for coupling via a UniversalSerial Bus (USB)), cellular communication components, NFC components,Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components,and other communication components.

Instructions 1150 may comprise software, a program, an application, anapplet, an app, or other executable code for causing at least any of theprocessors 1110 to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein. The instructions 1150 may reside, completely orpartially, within at least one of the processors 1110 (e.g., within theprocessor's cache memory), the memory/storage devices 1120, or anysuitable combination thereof. Furthermore, any portion of theinstructions 1150 may be transferred to the hardware resources 1100 fromany combination of the peripheral devices 1104 or the databases 1106.Accordingly, the memory of processors 1110, the memory/storage devices1120, the peripheral devices 1104, and the databases 1106 are examplesof computer-readable and machine-readable media.

In some embodiments, the electronic device(s), network(s), system(s),chip(s) or component(s), or portions or implementations thereof, ofFIGS. 1 to 11 herein may be configured to perform one or more processes,techniques, or methods as described herein, or portions thereof.

Features of various embodiments of the invention are described in thefollowing examples, which may be combined in various combinations,according to the circumstances of each implementation.

Example 1 may include the measurement gap length (MGL) in New Radio maybe 6 ms.

Example 2 may include the measurement gap length in New Radio may be 6ms for frequency range below 6 GHz, and, the measurement gap length inNew Radio may be X ms for frequency range above 6 GHz, X may be equal orgreater than 6 ms. If Sub-carrier Spacing is YkHz, and twoSynchronization Signal blocks are contained in one subframe, then X maybe greater than (L/2)*(15/Y)ms for above 6 GHz; e.g X=9 ms. IfSub-carrier Spacing is YkHz, and three Synchronization Signal blocks arecontained in one subframe, then X may be greater thanceiling(L/3)*(15/Y)ms for above 6 GHz; e.g. X=6 ms. (Where ceiling(k)=isthe least integer greater than or equal to k). In some examples, thefrequency boundaries involved may be the frequency boundary of theFrequency ranges specified in the standards. For example, FrequencyRange 1, Frequency Range 2, and the like.

Example 3 may include the bitmap for gap pattern may be used to indicatethe gap availability in time sequence on a frequency layer. Bitmap isused to indicate which gap occasion is available or punctured/muted,e.g. “1” means gap occasion is available and “0” means gap occasion ispunctured or muted. For each frequency layer measurement, NW may signalassistance information to UE, which may include but not limit to: Gapperiodicity (e.g. 40 ms or 80 ms), Gap offset (to indicate the positionof gap duration within the Gap periodicity), Measurement Gap Length, Gapbitmap. The bitmap design may guarantee that the Measurement Gap Lengthin each 40 ms will not exceed 6 ms or 7 ms. The gap resource for LTE maybe prioritized than New Radio measurement, LTE measurement gap iscollided with New Radio measurement gap in time domain, the LTEmeasurement may be performed first in the gap. Or, the gap resource forNew Radio may be prioritized than LTE measurement. LTE measurement gapis collided with New Radio measurement gap in time domain, the New Radiomeasurement may be performed first in the gap.

Example 4 may include the Measurement Gap Repetition Period (MGRP) orinterval between every two gaps may be equal or greater than 40 ms eventhough the Synchronization Signal burst set periodicity may be smallerthan 40 ms.

Example 5 may include an apparatus comprising means to perform one ormore elements of a method described in or related to any of examples 1to 4, or any other method or process described herein.

Example 6 may include one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediacomprising instructions to cause an electronic device, upon execution ofthe instructions by one or more processors of the electronic device, toperform one or more elements of a method described in or related to anyof examples 1 to 4, or any other method or process described herein.

Example 7 may include an apparatus comprising logic, modules, orcircuitry to perform one or more elements of a method described in orrelated to any of examples 1 to 4, or any other method or processdescribed herein.

Example 8 may include a method, technique, or process as described in orrelated to any of examples 1 to 4, or portions or parts thereof.

Example 9 may include an apparatus comprising: one or more processorsand one or more computer readable media comprising instructions that,when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or moreprocessors to perform the method, techniques, or process as described inor related to any of examples 1 to 4, or portions thereof, or any otherexample described herein.

Example 10 may include a signal as described in or related to any ofexamples 1 to 4, or portions or parts thereof.

Example 11 may include a signal in a wireless network as shown anddescribed herein.

Example 12 may include a method of communicating in a wireless networkas shown and described herein.

Example 13 may include a system for providing wireless communication asshown and described herein.

Example 14 may include a device for providing wireless communication asshown and described herein.

Example 15, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 1 to4 or any other method or process described herein, may further comprisea method of determining Measurement Gap Length for a frequency layerwherein for carrier frequencies in the frequency range below 6 GHz theMeasurement Gap Length is 6 ms; and for carrier frequencies in thefrequency range above 6 GHz the Measurement Gap Length is Xms, where Xis governed by the relationship X≥ceiling(L/n)*(15/Y), where L is amaximum amount of Synchronization Signal blocks that can be contained ina single Synchronization Signal burst set, n is a amount ofSynchronization Signal blocks in one subframe, and Y (kHz) is aSub-carrier Spacing of the frequency layer.

Example 16, which may include the subject matter of example 15 or anyother method or process described herein, may further comprise settingthe Measurement Gap Length to at least 8 ms if the frequency layer has acarrier frequency in the frequency range above 6 GHz and the frequencylayer has a sub-carrier spacing of 60 kHz and an amount ofSynchronization Signal blocks that can be contained in one subframe ofthe frequency layer is 2.

Example 17, which may include the subject matter of examples 15 or 16 orany other method or process described herein, may further comprisesetting the Measurement Gap Length to at least 5.5 ms if the frequencylayer has a carrier frequency in the frequency range above 6 GHz and thefrequency layer has a sub-carrier spacing of 60 kHz and the amount ofSynchronization Signal blocks that can be contained in one subframe ofthe frequency layer is 3.

Example 18, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 15to 17 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise setting the Measurement Gap Length to at least 3.5 ms if thefrequency layer has a carrier frequency in the frequency range above 6GHz and the frequency layer has a sub-carrier spacing of 60 kHz and theamount of Synchronization Signal blocks that can be contained in onesubframe of the frequency layer is 5.

Example 19, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 15to 18 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise setting the Measurement Gap Length to at least 3 ms if thefrequency layer has a carrier frequency in the frequency range above 6GHz and the frequency layer has a sub-carrier spacing of 60 kHz and theamount of Synchronization Signal blocks that can be contained in onesubframe of the frequency layer is 6.

Example 20, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 15to 19 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise setting the Measurement Gap Length to at least 1.5 ms if thefrequency layer has a carrier frequency in the frequency range above 6GHz and the frequency layer has a sub-carrier spacing of 60 kHz and theamount of Synchronization Signal blocks that can be contained in onesubframe of the frequency layer is 11.

Example 21, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 15to 20 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise determining a gap bitmap for a frequency layer of a pluralityof frequency layers to indicate a gap availability in time sequence onthe frequency layer, wherein the bitmap is used to indicate which gapoccasion is available or disabled.

Example 22, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 15to 21 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise signaling gap assistance information to a User Equipment,wherein the gap assistance information comprises at least a gapperiodicity, a gap offset, a measurement gap length and the determinedgap bitmap.

Example 23, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 15to 22 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise determining a Measurement Gap Repetition Period for a frequencylayer of a plurality of frequency layers, wherein the Measurement GapRepetition Period is at least 40 ms, and wherein a SynchronizationSignal burst set periodicity for the frequency layer is less than 40 ms.

Example 24, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 15to 23 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise determining an interval between two gaps of a plurality of gapsfor a frequency layer of a plurality of frequency layers, wherein theinterval between the two gaps is at least 40 ms, and wherein aSynchronization Signal burst set periodicity for the frequency layer isless than 40 ms.

Example 25, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 1 to24 or any other method or process described herein, may further comprisedetermining a number of subframes required to contain a maximum numberof one or more Synchronization Signal blocks; determining a time takenfor the network to send the determined number of subframes required tocontain the maximum number of the Synchronization Signal blocks; andsetting the Measurement Gap Length to a length of time that is greaterthan the determined time taken to send the determined number ofsubframes.

Example 26 may provide an apparatus in a base station for performing amethod of cell measurement in a wireless network, wherein the wirelessnetwork comprises a plurality of New Radio frequency layers, theapparatus configured to: determine a Measurement Gap Length, MGL, foreach one of a plurality of frequency layers operational in the wirelessnetwork; determine a gap bitmap to indicate a measurement gapavailability in a time sequence for each one of the plurality offrequency layers of the wireless network; and transmit gap assistanceinformation for each one of the plurality of frequency layers of thewireless network to a User Equipment, wherein the gap assistanceinformation comprises at least the determined Measurement Gap Length andthe determined gap bitmap.

Example 27, which may include the subject matter of example 26 or anyother method or process described herein, may further comprise theapparatus configured to: determine a number of subframes required tocontain a maximum number of one or more Synchronization Signal blocks;and set the Measurement Gap Length to a length of time longer than atime duration taken to send the number of subframes required to containthe maximum number of the one or more Synchronization Signal blocks.

In Example 28, which may include the subject matter of example 27 or anyother method or process described herein, the maximum number of the oneor more Synchronization Signal blocks for a frequency layer of theplurality of frequency layers is a predefined parameter, L, determinedbased on a carrier frequency of the frequency layer.

In Example 29, which may include the subject matter of example 28 or anyother apparatus, method or process described herein, the determinedMeasurement Gap Length is X ms, determined using the equation:X≥ceiling(L/n)*(15/Y); wherein L is a maximum number of SynchronizationSignal blocks per Synchronization Signal burst set, n is a number ofSynchronization Signal blocks in one subframe and Y is the Sub-carrierSpacing in kHz. In some examples, the determination of the MGL isdependent on the Frequency Range in use with the MGL. For example, insome examples, L is categorized into three groups, comprising: (1)frequencies up to 3 GHz, L=[1, 2, 4]; (2) frequencies from 3 GHz to 6GHz, L=[4, 8]; (3) frequencies from 6 GHz to 52.6 GHz, L=[64].

In Example 30, which may include the subject matter of any of examples27 to 29 or any other method or process described herein, each one ofthe one or more Synchronization Signal blocks comprises a PrimarySynchronization Signal symbol, a Secondary Synchronization Signal symboland two or more Physical Broadcast Channel symbols.

In Example 31, which may include the subject matter of any of examples27 to 29 or any other method or process described herein, each one ofthe one or more Synchronization Signal blocks comprises a PrimarySynchronization Signal symbol, a Secondary Synchronization Signal symboland three or more Physical Broadcast Channel symbols.

Example 32, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 26to 31 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise: a gap periodicity, wherein the gap periodicity is a frequencyof repetition of gaps in a respective frequency layer; and a gap offset,wherein the gap offset is a start position of a measurement gap in thegap periodicity.

In Example 33, which may include the subject matter of example 32 or anyother method or process described herein, the gap periodicity is alwaysgreater than or equal to 40 ms.

Example 34, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 26to 33 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise the apparatus configured to: determine on which one of theplurality of frequency layers of the wireless network the User Equipmentwill perform cell measurement at a specific measurement gap occasionusing the determined gap bitmap and a measurement priority rule.

In Example 35, which may include the subject matter of example 34 or anyother method or process described herein, the wireless network furthercomprises at least one legacy LTE frequency layer, and the measurementpriority rule is configured to prioritize measurement of the LTEfrequency layer when a measurement gap occasion of the LTE frequencylayer collides with a measurement gap occasion of a New Radio frequencylayer in time domain.

In Example 36, which may include the subject matter of example 34 or anyother method or process described herein, the wireless network furthercomprises at least one legacy LTE frequency layer, and the measurementpriority rule is configured to prioritize measurement of a New Radiofrequency layer when a measurement gap occasion of the LTE frequencylayer collides with a measurement gap occasion of the New Radiofrequency layer in time domain.

In Example 37, which may include the subject matter of any of examples26 to 36 or any other method or process described herein, the gap bitmapis configured to guarantee that the Measurement Gap Length in each 40 msperiod does not exceed 6 ms.

In Example 38, which may include the subject matter of any of examples26 to 37 or any other method or process described herein, the gap bitmapindicates the measurement gap availability in the time sequence by usingbits of the gap bitmap to indicate whether a respective measurement gapoccasion is available for performing measurement by the User Equipmentor whether the respective measurement gap occasion has been disabled.

In Example 39, which may include the subject matter of example 38 or anyother method or process described herein, setting a bit of the gapbitmap to ‘1’ indicates that the respective measurement gap occasion isavailable for performing measurement by the User Equipment; and settinga bit of the gap bitmap to ‘0’ indicates that the respective measurementgap occasion is disabled and therefore is not available for performingmeasurement by the User Equipment.

Example 40 may provide a computer-readable media comprising instructionsto cause an electronic device, upon execution of the instructions by oneor more processors of the electronic device, to perform one or moreelements of a method in a User Equipment for cell measurement in awireless network, wherein the wireless network comprises a plurality ofNew Radio frequency layers, the method comprising: receiving gapassistance information for each one of a plurality of frequency layersof the wireless network from a Base Station, wherein the gap assistanceinformation comprises at least a determined Measurement Gap Length and adetermined gap bitmap; determining on which one of the plurality offrequency layers of the wireless network the User Equipment will performcell measurement at a specified measurement gap occasion using thedetermined gap bitmap and a measurement priority rule; and performingcell measurement on the determined frequency layer of the plurality offrequency layers of the wireless network within the specifiedmeasurement gap occasion.

In Example 41, which may include the subject matter of example 41 or anyother method or process described herein, the gap assistance informationfurther comprises one or more of: a gap periodicity, wherein the gapperiodicity is a frequency of repetition of gaps in a respectivefrequency layer; and a gap offset, wherein the gap offset is a startposition of a measurement gap in the gap periodicity.

In Example 42, which may include the subject matter of examples 40 or 41or any other method or process described herein, the wireless networkfurther comprises at least one legacy LTE frequency layer, and themeasurement priority rule is configured to prioritize measurement of theLTE frequency layer when a measurement gap occasion of the LTE frequencylayer collides with a measurement gap occasion of a New Radio frequencylayer in time domain.

In Example 43, which may include the subject matter of examples 40 or 41or any other method or process described herein, the wireless networkfurther comprises at least one legacy LTE frequency layer, and themeasurement priority rule is configured to prioritize measurement of aNew Radio frequency layer when a measurement gap occasion of the LTEfrequency layer collides with a measurement gap occasion of the NewRadio frequency layer in time domain.

In Example 44, which may include the subject matter of any of examples40 to 43 or any other method or process described herein, the gap bitmapindicates the measurement gap availability in the time sequence by usingbits of the gap bitmap to indicate whether a respective measurement gapoccasion is available for performing measurement by the User Equipmentor whether the measurement gap occasion has been disabled.

In Example 45, which may include the subject matter of any of examples40 to 44 or any other method or process described herein, a bit of thegap bitmap having a value of ‘1’ indicates that the respectivemeasurement gap occasion is available for performing measurement by theUser Equipment; and a bit of the gap bitmap having a value of ‘0’indicates that the respective measurement gap occasion is disabled andtherefore is not available for performing measurement by the UserEquipment.

Example 46 may provide a base station apparatus for cell measurement ina wireless network, wherein the wireless network comprises a pluralityof New Radio frequency layers, the apparatus comprising: means fordetermining a Measurement Gap Length, MGL, for each one of a pluralityof frequency layers operational in the wireless network; means fordetermining a gap bitmap to indicate a measurement gap availability in atime sequence for each one of the plurality of frequency layers of thewireless network; and means for transmitting gap assistance informationfor each one of the plurality of frequency layers of the wirelessnetwork to a User Equipment, wherein the gap assistance informationcomprises at least the determined Measurement Gap Length and thedetermined gap bitmap.

Example 47, which may include the subject matter of example 46 or anyother method or process described herein, may further comprise means fordetermining a number of subframes required to contain a maximum numberof one or more Synchronization Signal blocks; and means for setting theMeasurement Gap Length to a length of time longer than a time durationtaken to send the number of subframes required to contain the maximumnumber of the one or more Synchronization Signal blocks.

Example 48, which may include the subject matter of examples 46 or 47 orany other method or process described herein, may further comprise meansfor determining on which one of the plurality of frequency layers of thewireless network the User Equipment will perform cell measurement at aspecific measurement gap occasion using the determined gap bitmap and ameasurement priority rule.

Example 49, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 46to 48 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise means for configuring the gap bitmap to guarantee that theMeasurement Gap Length in each 40 ms period does not exceed 6 ms.

Example 50, which may include the subject matter of any of examples 46to 49 or any other method or process described herein, may furthercomprise means for indicating the measurement gap availability in thetime sequence by using bits of the gap bitmap to indicate whether arespective measurement gap occasion is available for performingmeasurement by the User Equipment or whether the respective measurementgap occasion has been disabled.

The foregoing description of one or more implementations providesillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the scope of embodiments to the precise form disclosed.Modifications and variations are possible in light of the aboveteachings or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments.

1. An apparatus for a base station comprising: baseband circuitryincluding one or more processors to: determine a Measurement Gap Length,MGL, for each one of a plurality of frequency layers operational in awireless network; determine a gap bitmap to indicate a measurement gapavailability in a time sequence for each one of the plurality offrequency layers of the wireless network; and a radio frequencyinterface to send the gap assistance information for each one of theplurality of frequency layers of the wireless network to a UserEquipment, wherein the gap assistance information comprises at least thedetermined Measurement Gap Length and the determined gap bitmap.
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors of the basebandcircuitry are to further: determine a number of subframes required tocontain a maximum number of one or more Synchronization Signal blocks;and set the Measurement Gap Length to a length of time longer than atime duration taken to send the number of subframes required to containthe maximum number of the one or more Synchronization Signal blocks. 3.The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the maximum number of the one or moreSynchronization Signal blocks for a frequency layer of the plurality offrequency layers is a predefined parameter, L, determined based on acarrier frequency of the frequency layer.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3,wherein the determined Measurement Gap Length is X ms, determined usingthe equation:X≥ceiling(L/n)*(15/Y); and wherein: L is a maximum number ofSynchronization Signal blocks per Synchronization Signal burst set; n isa number of Synchronization Signal blocks in one subframe; and Y is theSub-carrier Spacing in kHz.
 5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein eachone of the one or more Synchronization Signal blocks comprises a PrimarySynchronization Signal symbol, a Secondary Synchronization Signal symboland two or more Physical Broadcast Channel symbols.
 6. (canceled)
 7. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the gap assistance information furthercomprises one or more of: a gap periodicity, wherein the gap periodicityis a frequency of repetition of gaps in a respective frequency layer; agap offset, wherein the gap offset is a start position of a measurementgap in the gap periodicity
 8. (canceled)
 9. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the one or more processors of the baseband circuitry are tofurther: determine on which one of the plurality of frequency layers ofthe wireless network the User Equipment will perform cell measurement ata specific measurement gap occasion using the determined gap bitmap anda measurement priority rule.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein themeasurement priority rule is configured to prioritize measurement of aLong Term Evolution, LTE, frequency layer of the wireless network when ameasurement gap occasion of the LTE frequency layer collides with ameasurement gap occasion of a New Radio frequency layer in time domain.11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the measurement priority rule isconfigured to prioritize measurement of a New Radio frequency layer whena measurement gap occasion of a Long Term Evolution, LTE, frequencylayer of the wireless network collides with a measurement gap occasionof the New Radio frequency layer in time domain.
 12. (canceled)
 13. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the gap bitmap indicates the measurementgap availability in the time sequence by using bits of the gap bitmap toindicate whether a respective measurement gap occasion is available forperforming measurement by the User Equipment or whether the respectivemeasurement gap occasion has been disabled.
 14. (canceled)
 15. Anon-transitory, computer-readable media comprising instructions to causean electronic device, upon execution of the instructions by one or moreprocessors of the electronic device, to perform one or more elements ofa method in a User Equipment for cell measurement in a wireless network,wherein the wireless network comprises a plurality of frequency layers,the method comprising: receiving gap assistance information for each oneof the plurality of frequency layers of the wireless network from a BaseStation, wherein the gap assistance information comprises at least adetermined Measurement Gap Length and a determined gap bitmap;determining on which one of the plurality of frequency layers of thewireless network the User Equipment will perform cell measurement at aspecified measurement gap occasion using the determined gap bitmap and ameasurement priority rule; and performing cell measurement on thedetermined frequency layer of the plurality of frequency layers of thewireless network within the specified measurement gap occasion.
 16. Thenon-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein the gapassistance information further comprises one or more of: a gapperiodicity, wherein the gap periodicity is a frequency of repetition ofgaps in a respective frequency layer; and a gap offset, wherein the gapoffset is a start position of a measurement gap in the gap periodicity.17. The non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15, wherein themeasurement priority rule is configured to prioritize measurement of alegacy Long Term Evolution, LTE, frequency layer of the wireless networkwhen a measurement gap occasion of the LTE frequency layer collides witha measurement gap occasion of a New Radio frequency layer in timedomain.
 18. The non-transitory, computer-readable media of claim 15,wherein the measurement priority rule is configured to prioritizemeasurement of a New Radio frequency layer when a measurement gapoccasion of a legacy LTE frequency layer of the wireless networkcollides with a measurement gap occasion of the New Radio frequencylayer in time domain.
 19. The non-transitory, computer-readable media ofclaim 15, wherein the gap bitmap indicates the measurement gapavailability in the time sequence by using bits of the gap bitmap toindicate whether a respective measurement gap occasion is available forperforming measurement by the User Equipment or whether the measurementgap occasion has been disabled
 20. (canceled)
 21. A base stationapparatus for cell measurement in a wireless network, wherein thewireless network comprises a plurality of frequency layers, theapparatus comprising: means for determining a Measurement Gap Length,MGL, for each one of the plurality of frequency layers operational inthe wireless network; means for determining a gap bitmap to indicate ameasurement gap availability in a time sequence for each one of theplurality of frequency layers of the wireless network; and means fortransmitting gap assistance information for each one of the plurality offrequency layers of the wireless network to a User Equipment, whereinthe gap assistance information comprises at least the determinedMeasurement Gap Length and the determined gap bitmap.
 22. The apparatusof claim 21, further comprising one or more of: means for determining anumber of subframes required to contain a maximum number of one or moreSynchronization Signal blocks; means for setting the Measurement GapLength to a length of time longer than a time duration taken to send thenumber of subframes required to contain the maximum number of the one ormore Synchronization Signal blocks.
 23. The apparatus of claim 21,further comprising means for determining on which one of the pluralityof frequency layers of the wireless network the User Equipment willperform cell measurement at a specific measurement gap occasion usingthe determined gap bitmap and a measurement priority rule.
 24. Theapparatus of any of claim 21, further comprising a means for configuringthe gap bitmap to guarantee that the Measurement Gap Length in each 40ms period does not exceed 6 ms.
 25. The apparatus of any of claim 21,further comprising means for indicating the measurement gap availabilityin the time sequence by using bits of the gap bitmap to indicate whethera respective measurement gap occasion is available for performingmeasurement by the User Equipment or whether the respective measurementgap occasion has been disabled.